Abstract: An animal tag and methods for making an animal tag include a primary body of material (e.g., that includes a circuit holding portion and an animal attachment portion), a circuit assembly, and a cover configured to cover the circuit assembly. The cover is welded to the primary body of material using light radiation.

Abstract: A system access module and method of enabling a communication session for use with a platform having a voice activated front-end and associated with a telecommunications central office switch. In one embodiment, the system access module includes a call coordinator, coupled to the platform and said telecommunications central office switch, configured to establish, and later release, a voice command link between the voice integrated platform and a remote device. The call coordinator is further configured to direct the telecommunications central office switch to establish a voice communication path associated with the remote device employing the platform. The system access module also includes a call manager, coupled to the call coordinator, configured to allow reuse of at least a portion of the voice communication path as directed by the remote device.

Abstract: Methods and system consistent with the present invention provide an appliance having inlet valves connected to respective supply lines with a control system that senses a temperature of a fluid supplied by a first of the supply lines, associates the first inlet valve connected to the first supply line with one of a plurality of predetermined temperature ranges, one of which includes the sensed temperature of the fluid in first supply line, and activates the first inlet valve upon a request by the appliance for a fluid in the one predetermined temperature range.

Abstract: A system access module and method of enabling a communication session for use with a platform having a voice activated front-end and associated with a telecommunications central office switch. In one embodiment, the system access module includes a call coordinator, coupled to the platform and said telecommunications central office switch, configured to establish, and later release, a voice command link between the voice integrated platform and a remote device. The call coordinator is further configured to direct the telecommunications central office switch to establish a voice communication path associated with the remote device employing the platform. The system access module also includes a call manager, coupled to the call coordinator, configured to allow reuse of at least a portion of the voice communication path as directed by the remote device.

Abstract: IP packets are conveyed through an OSI network by encapsulating the IP packets in OSI packets. When an IP session is started, an OSI destination address is discovered by broadcasting the encapsulated IP packet to every OSI network element that supports a TCP/IP gateway. Tables are maintained to track IP session data for routing subsequent packets associated with an IP session.

Abstract: A collapsible, lightweight backstop includes a U-shaped base member having parallel arms and a rear portion therebetween. The arms include separable mating sections that are hingedly joined to a vertical support leg whereby the arm sections may be folded and collapsed thereagainst. An upper frame member is pivotally joined to the upper ends of the support legs and may be moved between raised and lowered vertical positions. A net member is secured to the base member, the legs and the upper frame member to form a backstop including a ball retaining pocket. A telescoping tubular frame member is pivotally joined to the upper end of each support leg. An auxiliary net is secured to the frame member and the support leg to form a lateral extension when the frame member is pivoted outwardly to an oblique position. The base member and frame members each include apertures for receiving a stake or similar means to anchor the device to the ground.

Abstract: An output driver circuit for a semiconductor chip has a push-pull output with a P-channel pull-up and an N-channel pull-down. Predrivers produce push-pull outputs for driving the gates of the output driver. In previous circuits, a stacked arrangement was usually employed where the N-channel pull-down transistor had another N-channel transistor, with gate connected to the voltage supply, in series with it. In this invention, a parallel N-channel or P-channel transistor is employed to shunt part of the current at the beginning of a transition from high-to-low at the output node of the off-chip driver circuit, and thus lower the voltage across the pull-down transistor to a level which will avoid hot-electron degradation. This parallel transistor is small compared to the main N-channel pull-down, and serves to reduce the output node voltage to a level which does not present a likelihood of hot-electron effects in the main pull-down device.

Abstract: In a system of digital chips, the time delay in all clock trees is equalized by equalizing the delay through each level of all trees. The level delays are equalized by adjusting the capacitance of terminators in each net at each level, and/or by adjusting the performance (power) of each driver at each level. Where the capacitance of a net is too low to be compensated by a driver, a capacitive terminator is selectively added to that net.

Abstract: A fail-safe control system for operating a power relay to energize an electrical load such as a resistive heating element in a cooking apparatus includes first and second driving transistors connected in series with the control winding of the power relay and a source of power. A logic circuit, such as a microcomputer, produces pulses having specified characteristics at a single output port in order to energize the control winding. A circuit interconnecting the output port of the logic circuit with the driving transistors includes a first branch connected with the first transistor and a second branch connected with the second transistor. The first branch of the circuit includes an operational amplifier connected by a capacitor with the logic circuit output port in a manner that the first branch will drive the first transistor for a sufficiently long period of time initially in order to energize the relay control winding and cause the power relay to pull in.

Abstract: The present invention is a fault detecting membrane potentiometer keyswitch. The keyswitch includes circuitry for providing a reference voltage signal when not activated, so that a faulty switch can be determined by absence of a reference voltage signal. Specifically, the wiper of the membrane potentiometer keyswitch is coupled to the resistive element of the keyswitch intermediate a sensing portion and a reference portion. With this arrangement, as long as the keyswitch is inoperative, the reference portion provides a reference voltage signal which is distinguishable from any of the setting voltage signals, and also distinguishable from a grounded condition. When a setting signal is observed, a timer is used to determined whether the setting signal is a user entered setting signal or a short between the wiper and the resistive element.

Abstract: In a system of digital chips, the time delay in all clock trees is equalized by equalizing the delay through each level of all trees. The level delays are equalized by adjusting the capacitance of terminators in each net at each level, and/or by adjusting the performance (power) of each driver at each level. Where the capacitance of a net is too low to be compensated by a driver, a capacitive terminator is selectively added to that net.

Abstract: A performance-sensing element (PSE) circuit detects the actual speed of other circuits on the same chip by launching a pulse into a tapped cascade of circuits on the chip, then detecting how far the pulse has progressed after a known interval. Control signals indicating circuit speed can stabilize parameters of the other circuits, such as rate of change of current (di/dt) in driver circuits, absolute delay of clock signals from one chip to another, and relative delay of multiple clock signals within the chip.

Abstract: A keyboard switch assembly includes a thin, flexible, glass top layer forming a membrane. Disposed on an inner surface of the glass membrane is a first conductive layer forming an electrode. Disposed beneath the first conductive layer is an insulating layer or spacer having an aperture therein that defines a switch contact area. Beneath the spacer a rigid portion of the keyboard switch assembly is provided. The rigid portion of the keyboard switch assembly includes a rigid substrate with a conductive coating formed thereon to provide a second conductive layer or electrode disposed beneath the spacer. A flexible polymer layer may further be disposed between the rigid substrate and the second conductive layer to reduce point contact degradation in the keyboard switch assembly. Decorative paint layers may be formed on the inner surface of the glass membrane between the glass membrane and the first conductive layer.

Abstract: An electric range having a self-cleaning oven utilizes a digital electronic microprocessor based oven temperature control system having multiple, redundant oven temperature sensing elements. The output signal from a first one of the multiple oven temperature sensing elements disposed in the cavity of the oven is used as a primary sensed bake temperature signal for controlling the temperature of the oven during its BAKE mode of operation and as a redundant or back-up sensed clean temperature signal for safely shutting down the oven during its CLEAN mode of operation in the event that the sensed oven temperature significantly exceeds the top of the clean temperature range.

Abstract: In an integrated circuit chip utilizing CMOS technology, an embedded data bus is driven by embedded three state drivers, and the bus is in turn connected to provide a drive signal to embedded receivers and similar logic devices. An embedded threshold detector is provided to detect the occurrence of any invalid data signal (i.e. a non-"0" or a non-"1" signal level) on the data bus. The threshold detector's output signal is connected to off chip terminal means, to thereby enable off chip monitoring of the bus signal. The threshold detector's output signal is also ANDed with the bus signal, to thereby prevent the application of a potentially destructive invalid bus signal to the receivers and the like. Terminator circuit means provides a known invalid signal state on the bus when the bus is in its high impedance state due to all of the three state drivers being disabled.

Abstract: A VLSI chip has multiple annular rings of circuit cells, interspersed with annular wiring channels for interconecting the cells. Another wiring layer runs perpendicular to the rings. A central chip area contains all the I/O connections for the chip.

Abstract: A VLSI chip has multiple annular rings of circuit cells, interspersed with annular wiring channels for interconnecting the cells. Another wiring layer runs perpendicular to the rings. A central chip area contains all the I/O connections for the chip.

Abstract: A method of optimizing signal timing delays and power consumption through multi-path LSI circuits constructed from a plurality of circuit blocks, each circuit block having associated therewith a plurality of power levels which are selectable to control the timing delays through the circuit block, wherein the method steps include the formation of a power-performance derivative for each circuit block, identifying therefrom the relative contribution to signal delay of the circuit block in the entire multi-path configuration, and selecting the optimum power level for an overall multi-path minimum signal delay condition, through a process of iterative calculation of timing delays through individual circuit blocks and multi-path timing analysis.

Abstract: A capacitive touch panel control provided with first and second conductive circuit pads on opposite faces of a thin dielectric sheet in the form of a film secured to a dielectric panel by adhesive. The panel is provided with a touch pad. The circuit pads are disposed so that at least a portion of each is in appositional facial registration with the touch pad and out of appositional facial registration with each other so as to provide a variable capacitance between the circuit pads as an incident of selective touching and non-touching of the touch pad by a user. The circuit pads may form a portion of a printed circuit on the film which further includes electrical conductors for making connection to associated apparatus. Ground conductors may be provided on the film adjacent the output voltage conductors of the circuit to reduce leakage between the circuit conductors.

Abstract: A filtering system in which a plurality of filter assemblies are supported in a spaced relation relative to a common header which communicates with each of the assemblies. Each filter assembly consists of a plurality of individual filter units each of which is formed by a perforated tube and a filter material extending around the tube. The fluid to be filtered is drawn through the filter units and the header for passage externally of the system.